Re: Florida Meetings

In a message dated 4/22/00 2:19:14 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
brush@uconn.cted.net writes:
> There are several points to consider. First, this split occurred in the
> early Jurassic or late Triassic. The identity of the stem group is unclear,
> as is the nature of the taxonomic distribution. Even if we were to witness
> the event, it is unlike that the future of any of the taxa could be
predicted.
> Our interpretation is from hindsight based only on contemporary biases.
The
> ancestor was probably small, bipedal, and without epidermal structures
other
> than a variety of scales.
I'm sorry, but are you suggesting that the common ancestor of birds and
dromaeosaurs *lacked* feathers, even though they are (apparently) found in
both groups?
Nick P.